Traveling Blog: Booking's Big Pivot + Icelandair's Wow Deal + Skift's New Washington Beat

November 6, 2018

Editor's Note

As part of Skift's recent expansion — hiring a new Asia editor and sales director, adding a new travel advisors newsletter, a wellness vertical, and buying subscription newsletter Airline Weekly — we also plan to keep a closer eye on Washington on your behalf. Today we debut the Washington Beat column to help you understand how politics, regulations, and lobbying are impacting the travel industry. Consultant Maryam Khan Cope, who has spent decades in politics, policy, and business, including working on Capitol Hill, will offer insights that not only have implications for U.S. companies but the global travel industry, too. We couldn't think of a better time to launch Washington Beat than on Election Day. Read below as Khan Cope assesses what the industry can expect in D.C. after these all-important midterms.

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

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Air Canada Doubles Down on Its Corporate Travel Offerings

Top Stories

Booking Holdings Makes Major Pivot Toward Merchant Hotel Bookings

It's back to the future for Booking Holdings, which is pivoting to emphasize the prepaid hotel model that its Booking.com unit basically spurned for most of its history. This means better cash flow because consumers pay when they book, and higher commissions.

What Looms for the Travel Industry in D.C. After the Midterms

Midterm elections have rarely been this galvanizing or controversial. For industry observers and executives, the question remains of how changes in Washington will impact the business of travel. With a divided government, expect most of the changes to regulations to come from the Trump administration.

SeaWorld's Price-Cutting Strategy Is Fueling a Comeback

SeaWorld is making theme park visitors an offer some apparently can't refuse: a good deal. With attendance continuing to rise and a slate of new attractions on the horizon, the operator might finally be leaving the bad times behind.

Icelandair to Buy Rival Wow Air

This looks like a marriage of convenience for the carriers. Both are struggling, as is the wider Icelandic tourism industry. We'll have to wait and see whether one is better than two.

Hyatt Is Altering Its Loyalty Program to Battle Abuse

Hyatt retooled its "cash + points" award booking calculations last week and it illustrated the perils of building out a loyalty program without expecting members to abuse it.

Restaurant Reservations Now: Soft Landings, CEO Shuffles and New Tech

The reservations landscape has changed significantly over the past year. While the big players are (mostly) the same, new technology, new leadership, and new strategies keep the game interesting.

American Air Joins Peers in Making It Harder to Hit Top Loyalty Tier

In a move that will surprise few, American Airlines followed United this week by increasing the cost of entry into the top tier of its loyalty program. Next year, earning Executive Platinum status on American Airlines will require 25 percent more spend on the airline.

Passengers sitting in the back of the airplane hate it when an airline runs out of food for sale. But airlines also hate waste, and they usually must throw out uneaten fresh food the same day. How do airlines decide how much food and drink to board? It's a delicate dance.

SAS New Emotional Video Takes the Prize for the Best Travel Ad of 2018

"Travelers will forget what we say in our ads, they will forget what we do with our promotions, but they will never forget how we make them feel."

Air Canada Struggles With How to Fill Planes in Winter

Air Canada has built a successful business flying customers between North America and Europe during the summer. But much of that business dries up the rest of the year. Now, Air Canada wants to find a way to produce more revenue in winter. Can it succeed?

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